Smoke Vortex Forms Above Verona Fire in Riverside County

A wildfire near Verona Road and Juniper Springs Road in the unincorporated Green Acres and Homeland areas of Riverside County produced a tall column of twisting smoke Tuesday afternoon. Video showed the funnel of smoke rising high above the flames as the fire spread through dry vegetation. m.

Tuesday night the fire had burned roughly 439 acres with zero containment, according to Cal Fire. Officials issued evacuation orders for several zones and kept evacuation warnings in place for nearby communities. Cal Fire deployed numerous air tankers from across the state along with 44 engines, helicopters, bulldozers, and hand crews.

Ground crews worked through the night to establish containment lines.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. One civilian also sustained an injury but declined medical treatment, according to officials. The Verona Fire erupted while firefighters across Southern California were already responding to several other blazes, including the Sandy Fire near Simi Valley and the Bain Fire in Riverside County.

The cause of the Verona Fire remains under investigation.